Combined hand rest, card holder, and straightedge



NEILL J. P. o

COMBINED HAND REST,- CARD HOLDER, AND STRAIGHTEDGE Sept. 14- 1926.

Filed Au ust 17, 1925 I 49 II I t IIJIL Patented Sept. 14,1926.

UNITED STATES,

JOSEPH P. ONEILL, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINED HAND REST, CARD HOLDER, AND, STRAIGHTEDGE.

Application filed August ,17, 1925. Serial No. 50,646.

My invention relates to a combined hand rest, card holder and straight edge especially designed for the use of bookkeepers,

and has for its object to provide a device which is a distinct and practical improvement to overcome certain. practical objections to, and defects in, the-present type of bookkeepers hand rest.

.A. further object of myinvention is to provide a one piece metalhc hand rest so constructed as to be capable of being moved laterally between the leaves of a book so;

as to bring the hand rest section below the page on either side of the book upon which entries are to be made near the bottom thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide the device with supporting arms spaced sucha distance apart as to permit one of the arms to be positioned upon the upper faceof an upper page of thebook to act as a: straight edge for ruling purposes. I v

A still' further object of the invention is to provide a device having a channeled or dished hand rest which when in reversed position acts as a cardholder for the book keeper while making entries in a book therefrom. i i

A still further object of the invention is to provide the free end of each arm of the device with a rounded out-er corner having a beveled edge to permit rapid insertion of the arms between book pages. v M r A still further object of the invention is to provide the front and rear walls of the hand rest section of the device with cutaway sections to provide finger holds.

r A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character set out which possesses advantages in points of simplicity, efficiency, and atthe same-timeprove itself comparatively inexpensive in point of manufacture. I

IVith the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more fully de scribed and finally pointed out in the claims hereto appended. V

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein pressed into shape.

like characters of reference denote "similar parts throughout-the several views Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank of metal lic stock showing portions cut away topI'Q:

vide spaced supporting arms. Fig. 2 11s va side elevation of the Edev ce after the hand restsect on has Fig. 3 is a top plan View of Fig. 2. v

4 is'an end elevation of the device. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the device. Fig." I the device used as a hand rest whenapplied to a book, The full lines show the device positioned. on one side of the book and the vice as applied .to a boolrwhen used as a card holder; a

been bent or 6 is a view in perspective showing dotted lines indicate the position thereof Fig. 8 is'a view in perspective of the device as applied to a book when used as a straightedge' I In carrying out the aim ofmy present invention, I employ a rectangular blank or sheet of suitable metallic stock designated A, as shown in Fig. 1. 'The blankmay be of anydesira-ble length width and gauge.

I provide the blank A. with a cutaway portion l'which extends back from one edge of the blank a suitable distance and I also cut away, as at 2, a marginal edge section of the blank on opposite side of the cutaway portion 1 to provide two suitably spaced arms 3 and 4. The Outercorner. of

the free end of each arm 3 and 4 is cut away to provide the curved. or rounded edge 5 which is beveled from oppositesides, as at 6, to provide the pointed edge 7.

The'lower or sold section of the metallic stock is'bent along the transverse dotted lines 8 and 9 to provide the hand rest plate 10 and the plate reinforcing'ribs or flanges 11 and '12 along its upper and lower edges, respectively. f V

The lower rib or flange is a little.

higher than thetop rib or flange 11 so as to extend below the lower plane of the supporting arms 3, and 4 and the lower edge of the flange 12 is bent outwardly at a right angle to the rib 12 to p'rovidea foot 13 to rest upon the desk or table after the arms 3 and 4 have been inserted between opposite pages of a book to act as a hand rest for a bookkeeper while making entries on lines near or at the lower edge of the book pages.

Owing to the spaced arrangement of the supporting arms 8 and 4, it is evident that the hand rest section 10 of the devicecan. bev

readily disposed opposite the lower edge of either the left or right hand pages 14: or 15 of a book B by merely shifting or sliding the arms 3 and 4 sideways between book pages through the hand rest section 10, thereby providing a hand; rest for, either page, of'the book upon which entries are-being made by merely shiftingthe device, sideways, thus obviating the necessity of with-- drawing the supporting arms 3 and 4 from between pages on one side of a book and reinserting them between the pages on the opposite side of the book when entries are to be made on a page on the opposite side of the book, By reference to'Fig. 6 ofthe drawing, it will be observed that when the hand rest 10 is opposite the lower edge of page 14;, the device will be in the position shown in full lines so that entries can be readily made on page 14.. It will be ob served that when the device is in the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 6, that the left hand arm 3 will be positioned between pages near the left hand edge of the book with the right hand arm 4 positioned near the center of the book and between pages on the other half of the book and vice versa when the hand rest has been shifted to the right half of the book,

The hand rest plate section 10 is provided with an opening 16 for hanging the device up on a nail or like element and the upper and lower ribs or flanges l1 and 12 are each provided with a cutaway section 17 to. act as a finger hold to permit the device to be picked up or raised from, a desk or table by means of, the bookkeepers fingers.

VVhen the device is to be used as a card holder for holding cards bearing 7 data to be entered into the book, the arms 3 and -l are inserted between the pages on opposite halves of the book, as shown in Fig. 7. When the device is used asa card holder, it will be observed that it is used just reverse from that as a hand rest, that is the de vice is positioned opposite the topof the hook with the hand rest turned; upside down so as to convert the hand rest into a channeled plate or tray for holding the cards thereupon. The upper and lower ribs or flanges prevent the cards from falling or sliding off of the holder.

l Vhen the device-is used as a straight edge for ruling or like purposes, one of the sup porting'armsis positioned between the page on. one side of the book and the other arm is positioned upon the page to be ruled, as

shown in Fig. 8. If desired, one or both of the arms 3 and 4: may be provided with suitable graduations 18 representing a ruler.

From the foregoing specific description of the construction of the device, it is evident, briefly, that I employ a suitable sheet of metallic stock, bifurcated at one end thereof and provifde'the opposite end with a channel 19 running at a right angle to the bifurcation which channel provides an elevated hand rest section when positioned right side up and acard holder when positioned upside down, which renders the device as especially useful to bookkeepers or clerks in connection with work upon ledgers, or record books of all kinds requiring entries to be constantly made therein, such as in banks, offices,c ommercial houses, schools and the like.

The many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it hence I reserve the right to make any such changes, or modifications as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims when fairly construed.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, a single sheet of bifurcated metallic stock to provide a pair of spaced; arms and said stock being channeled adjacent the inner ends of the arms to provide an arm rest when positioned one side up and to provide a card holder when positioned the othersidje up.

2. It a device of the class described, a single sheet of metallic stock, said: sheet of metallic stock having a cutaway portion ex tending from one edge tov provide a. pair of spaced, arms, a flange directed at right angle to said arms, ahand rest section; directed at aright angle tothe flange, and in parallel relation with the arms, a. flange di rected at a right angle to the hand rest section and disposed parallel with. and opposite said first mentioned. flange.

3. In a device of the vclass described, a single sheet of metallic stock, said sheet of metallic stock having a cutaway portion extending from one edge to provide a pair of spaced arms, graduations upon, said arms, a flange directed at right angle to said arms, cutaway portion in said flangev to serve as a finger hold,,a hand rest section directed at a right angle to the flange and in parallel relation with the arms, said section having an opening therein to permit hanging up of the device, a flange directed at a right angle to the hand rest section and disposed parallel with and opposite said first mentioned flange and a cutaway portion in said flange to serve as a finger hold.

4:. In a crevice of the class described, a single sheet of metallic stock, said .sheet o1 metallic stock having a cutaway portion extending from one edge to provide a pair of spaced arms, graduations upon said arms, a flange directed at right angle to said arms, a cutaway portion in said flange to serve as a finger hold, a hand rest section directed at a right angle to the flange and in parallel relation with the arms, said section having an opening therein to permit hanging up of the device, a flange directed at a right angle to the hand rest section and disposed parallel with and opposite said first mentioned flange, a short flange directed outwardly from the last. mentioned flange and said last two mentioned flanges being provided with a cutaway portion adapted to serve as a finger hold for picking up the device.

5. In a device of the class described, a single sheet of metallic stock, said sheet of metallic stock having a cutaway portion extending from one edge to provide a pairof spaded arms, the outer corner of the free end of each arm being curved and beveled to provide a knife edge to permit the rapid insertion of the arms between the pages of a book, said sheet of metallic stock being channeled adjacent the inner ends of the,

arms to provice an elevated hand rest when in one position and to provide a card holder when in the opposite position.

6. In a device of the class described, a single sheet of metallic stock, said sheet of metallicstock having a cutaway portion extending fromone edge to provide a pair of spaced arms, the outer corner of the free end of each arm being curved and be'veled to provide a knife edge to permit the rapid insertion of the arms between the pages of a book, said sheet of metallic stock" being channeled adjacent the inner ends' of, the arms to provide an elevated hand rest when in one position and to provide a card holder when in the opposite position and cutaway portions in the flanges" of the channels hand rest sectionto provide finger holds.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to the specification.

JOSEPH P; ONEILL 

